Wednesday, June 25, 2014

US Hwy 191: "Unsigned" US Highways

In addition to US191, there are several US Highways which pass through Yellowstone National Park. Among them are US14, US16, US89, US287 and the portion of my old friend US20 that I was not able to drive in April 2013 due to it still being closed for the winter.

Technically speaking, these Highways are "unsigned" in Yellowstone, which simply means that there are none of the typically ubiquitous route signs along the roadways. It also means -- again, very technically speaking -- that they aren't actually considered to be US Highways within the Park.

The reason for this is that US Highways are required to be open for driving at all times. Since all roads in Yellowstone are closed in winter, they do not comply with US Highway requirements.

How do you get around a failure to comply? You say the rule doesn't apply to you. Hence, US Highways in Yellowstone are "unsigned" and therefore aren't actually US Highways. Got it?

Thankfully, GPS mapping systems either don't know or don't care about this technicality. All through the park, your map display will show the US Highway numbers. For example, here's a photo of my display just after I passed the intersection of US191 and US20.

The moment you drive out of Yellowstone, however, it's back to business as usual. Exiting the Park in West Yellowstone, you're greeted with all the appropriate US Highway signs to guide you on your merry way. Since you've also just crossed a state border, there's also a welcome to Montana!

1 comment:

If it's not too late to do so, consider stopping at the junction of US-191 and US-287 ... look just past the actual junction on your left for a nice place to eat; it's got a great 'Montana reputation.'

Alaskan Summer Travel

The Voyage of Macgellan 2.0

Map & Photos or All Posts
A second Voyage of Macgellan:
An 8-month exploration around
North Atlantic islands and coasts.December 2010 - July 2011

Yacht Delivery

All Posts: Sailing a 48-foot yacht
from Stamford, CT to Bermuda
and on to the Virgin Islands!October - November 2011

Hemp Farming

All Posts: R & D farming to help
restore industrial hemp as a
vital US agroindustrial crop.Feb 2015 to Nov 2016

Various

All Posts: All the other moments,
events and experiences fromThe World of Macgellan!May 2006 to Present

YouTube

Direct access to all of Macgellan's
videos... Watch some now!May 2006 to Present

Road Trips!

US Hwy 2 -- "End-to-End"
America's stalwart "Hi-Line" from
Everett, WA to Houlton, ME...
with a bit of Canada to boot!June - July 2009The AlCan Highway
Eight days on the road from
Seattle to Fairbanks! Complete
coverage of every grueling mile!October 2009Dalton Highway -- "Haul Road"
The infamous "Haul Road" along
the Alaska Pipeline: Fairbanks to
Deadhorse and back... Amazing!June 2010US Hwy 101 -- "Pacific Coast"
The classic, westernmost old US
Highway, driving from north to
south along the Pacific coast.August 2011 - to be continuedUS Hwy 50 -- "Coast-to-Coast"
"The Backbone of America" runs
3,000 miles from coast to coast,
on "The Loneliest Road" & more!August - September 2011The Pony Express! (I & II)
Fast-hauling horses from South-
Central Pennsylvania to Fort
Collins, Colorado... Giddy-up!June 2012 & August 2013US Hwy 30 -- "Coast-to-Coast"
The third longest US Route runs
3,000+ miles from coast to coast,
on "The Lincoln Highway" & more!July - September 2012US Hwy 20 -- "Coast-to-Coast"
"The Longest Road" in America
runs 3,365 miles coast to coast,
from Newport, OR, to Boston, MA!April - May 2013 (Suspended)US Hwy 70 -- "Coast-to-End"
"The Broadway of America" runs
2,385 miles from the NC coast
to deep in the Arizona desert!April - June 2014US Hwy 191 -- "Border-to-Border"
An international route running
2,000 miles between US borders
with Mexico and Canada!June - July 2014US Hwy 12 -- "Coast-to-End"
2,500 miles from the Pacific Coast
in Aberdeen, WA, to the Motor City
Detroit, MI, on a classic highway!September 2017Skyline Drive & Blue Ridge Pkwy
World famous roads through the
Appalachian Highlands, just in
time for fantastic fall colors!October 2017Natchez Trace
444 miles through 10,000 years
of history, the most significant
early highway of North America!October 2017US Hwy 93 -- "Begin-to-Border"
1,500 miles from the desert of
Arizona to the Canadian border
and everything in between!November 2017

• • • • •

Road Rig Updates!
Here's where you can find all the
history, evolution and news about
my fantastic Road Rig! June 2009 to Present